Circa:
Home town: Salisbury
Members:
- Vic Hastings – Vocals & guitar
- Frank Dolaghan – Lead guitar & vocals
- Rusty Northcote – Bass & vocals
- Mark Robins – Drums
Additional members:
- Digby Baillie – Vocals & guitar ( Replaced Frank Dolaghan when he went to form A VACANT LOT).
This was a high school band at Cranborne. Vic Hastings had a remarkable voice, not dissimilar in quality and range to that of Tom Jones. The band came second in, both, the 1967 and 1968 Texan Rock Band Competitions. In 1967 they were beaten into second place by the EXECUTIVES and, in 1968, by the GENTLEMEN. In both instances, despite only landing the silver medal, they picked up most of the individual awards and prizes that were on offer. In 1967 Vic Hastings won the Best Vocalist award, Rusty Northcote, Best Bass, Digby Baillie, Best Rhythm Guitarist, and, Mark Robbins, the Best Drummer accolades. Pete Wright and John Hodgkinson of the GENTLEMEN claimed the accolades for Best Bass and Best Lead, respectively.
In due course, Vic and Rusty relocated to South Africa where they formed a band called THE FIRST ACQUAINTANCE whilst Mark Robins went on to join the DRIFTERS. Frank Dolaghan formed A VACANT LOT and Digby Baillie joined the GENTLEMEN when brother, Pete, transferred to Bulawayo. Digby stayed with the GENTLEMEN until 1970 when he, too, relocated to South Africa where he joined an outfit called RUBBER STORM. The line-up included Sid Meyer (ex-Johnny Collini and the Crew), as well as Ernie Mindry who had been with a number of successful bands. The band did a six month stint in Cape Town and Johannesburg before returning to Salisbury to open a new section of the Golden Dragon Chinese restaurant. At this stage the band’s drummer was Graham Guthrie. The venue thrived for quite some while before a change of management brought a change of atmosphere and this “good thing” came to an end. Peter Baillie then returned to Salisbury and MOTHER NATURE’S SUN was born.
READ ABOUT THE BAND’S 2012 REUNION TOUR OF ZIMBABWE IN THE SITE’S ‘ROUND ‘N ABOUT’ SECTION.
See also the DRIFTERS/HOLY BLACK & DADDY LONG LEGS.